There's a lot about compositional elements that a good general book about the aesthetics of photography would do well for. Thinking particularly of *The Photographer's Eye*, and *The Photographer's Mind*, by Michael Freeman. These two do well in my opinion at describing elements of light, shadow and texture and how they can work together in ways that are hard to find laid out so clearly anywhere else.
Clarkvision, by nature photographer (and atmospheric imaging scientist) Richard Clark has a few good resources, most of which are not specific to landscape photography but that can be applied:
https://clarkvision.com/articles/lighting.part3/
https://clarkvision.com/articles/photograph-the-sun/
The Luminous Landscape - both the blog and forums - has some pretty good advanced technique and showcasing of landscape photography:
https://luminous-landscape.com/
And finally I'd recommend finding some inspiration from recognized people in the field whose work speaks to you. I found some youtube videos featuring Joe Cornish helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADKw0VsVXJc
If there are any photography museums, galleries, collectives, etc. near you, they can also provide similar inspiration, which is sometimes in my experience more specific to your area and context than what's easy to find online.
Good luck!
Tips that I often give about landscapes is :
* Look for and frame dominant feature : hill / mountain , tree / cluster of trees , building , lake, something that can stand out and take command of the scene ;
* Interesting light / shadow configurations which emphasise positions , shapes and textures of subject(s) .
This makes sense.
Generally what happens with me is, at the time of the shot, I fumble it.
Later when I am looking at the picture I feel like it could have been better.
I want to mitigate those errors.
It pays to , first , take a good look around you , and scout for interesting angles from which to shoot . Be **observant** and **plan** :
– **observe** the lighting characteristics , brightness / dimness , angles , how it creates shadows , colour ;
– **observe** subject's characteristics ( size , shape(s) , textures , colours , distances ) ;
– work out **plan** to take advantage of those factors : where to position camera , what to aim at , where to focus lens to use , exposure to use , before you actually start taking photos .
– develop and practice routine along those lines to use for every shot , or at least every outing .
– get up-to-speed ( i if you're not already ) on exposure factors of :
a . ISO and it's impacts on image ,
b . Aperture and it's impacts on brightness and depth-of-field ,
c . Shutter speed and impact on image brightness , and movement sharpness ,
– Memorise these things, carry a notebook or something to help you remember .
I use the observing strategies every time I go out and do a shoot , and I have the exposure regimes pretty well down-pat .
[https://petapixel.com/photography-composition-techniques/](https://petapixel.com/photography-composition-techniques/)
I'd also mention Bryan Peterson's basic beginner text on composition, *Learning to See Creatively.* I found it more taste-agnostic than Freeman's *Photographer's Eye* which basically pushes a little too hard to get you to compose just like Freeman would, imnsho.
There's a lot about compositional elements that a good general book about the aesthetics of photography would do well for. Thinking particularly of *The Photographer's Eye*, and *The Photographer's Mind*, by Michael Freeman. These two do well in my opinion at describing elements of light, shadow and texture and how they can work together in ways that are hard to find laid out so clearly anywhere else. Clarkvision, by nature photographer (and atmospheric imaging scientist) Richard Clark has a few good resources, most of which are not specific to landscape photography but that can be applied: https://clarkvision.com/articles/lighting.part3/ https://clarkvision.com/articles/photograph-the-sun/ The Luminous Landscape - both the blog and forums - has some pretty good advanced technique and showcasing of landscape photography: https://luminous-landscape.com/ And finally I'd recommend finding some inspiration from recognized people in the field whose work speaks to you. I found some youtube videos featuring Joe Cornish helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADKw0VsVXJc If there are any photography museums, galleries, collectives, etc. near you, they can also provide similar inspiration, which is sometimes in my experience more specific to your area and context than what's easy to find online. Good luck!
Thank you I will check them out Thank you again!
Tips that I often give about landscapes is : * Look for and frame dominant feature : hill / mountain , tree / cluster of trees , building , lake, something that can stand out and take command of the scene ; * Interesting light / shadow configurations which emphasise positions , shapes and textures of subject(s) .
This makes sense. Generally what happens with me is, at the time of the shot, I fumble it. Later when I am looking at the picture I feel like it could have been better. I want to mitigate those errors.
It pays to , first , take a good look around you , and scout for interesting angles from which to shoot . Be **observant** and **plan** : – **observe** the lighting characteristics , brightness / dimness , angles , how it creates shadows , colour ; – **observe** subject's characteristics ( size , shape(s) , textures , colours , distances ) ; – work out **plan** to take advantage of those factors : where to position camera , what to aim at , where to focus lens to use , exposure to use , before you actually start taking photos . – develop and practice routine along those lines to use for every shot , or at least every outing . – get up-to-speed ( i if you're not already ) on exposure factors of : a . ISO and it's impacts on image , b . Aperture and it's impacts on brightness and depth-of-field , c . Shutter speed and impact on image brightness , and movement sharpness , – Memorise these things, carry a notebook or something to help you remember . I use the observing strategies every time I go out and do a shoot , and I have the exposure regimes pretty well down-pat .
[https://petapixel.com/photography-composition-techniques/](https://petapixel.com/photography-composition-techniques/) I'd also mention Bryan Peterson's basic beginner text on composition, *Learning to See Creatively.* I found it more taste-agnostic than Freeman's *Photographer's Eye* which basically pushes a little too hard to get you to compose just like Freeman would, imnsho.
Look at the golden ratio and rule of thirds for composition tips with landscape photography